Published: March 12, 2025
Chapter 139: Insect Crisis (Part Two)
Nate was so exhausted that even speaking was a struggle. The guard quickly turned to another person and said, "Hurry and bring him a bowl of water." The other person immediately responded and ran to the guardhouse to fetch a bowl of water for Nate.
After drinking the water, Nate's hoarse voice improved a little. He immediately struggled to stand up and said, "Quick, urgent report! A large-scale insect plague has occurred to the east of the Ika Plain. We need mages to take action."
The guard was stunned when he heard Nate's words, and his expression changed dramatically. One rushed to report to the Inner Fortress, while the other helped Nate move inside.
Someone like Nate did not have the qualification to enter the Inner Fortress without prior communication. His message could only reach the door of the Inner Fortress, where the gate guards would relay it inside. The people inside would then decide whether to meet him based on the importance of the message.
After helping Nate to the guardhouse and letting him sit down, the guard asked, "What happened? Why did the insect plague occur all of a sudden?"
Although Nate was exhausted, he also knew that guards at the Inner Fortress were not ordinary individuals, and some were even collateral descendants of the Versailles Family. He didn't dare to withhold information, so he quickly replied, "I don't know either. This morning, a foreman from my jurisdiction came to inform me. He said they had a large-scale insect plague, and a large patch of wheat has already been eaten. I rushed back to report."
The guard, named Satin Versailles, was indeed a collateral descendant of the Versailles Family. His grandfather was an elder, and he was stationed at the gate as part of his training. Being a guard was a method of training for Versailles Family descendants, which is why he was assigned there.
Upon hearing Nate's words, Satin immediately asked, "When did you discover the insect plague?" As a member of the Versailles Family, he understood the significance of the Ika Plain, which is why he kept asking questions.
Nate didn’t conceal anything and hurriedly replied, "It was discovered this morning. Everything was normal yesterday. I don’t know what happened, but this morning, a large number of those insects suddenly appeared. I came back immediately to report."
Satin furrowed his brow as he sat there, feeling puzzled. As a descendant of the Versailles Family, he had seen much more of the world than Nate. Although he sensed that this incident was unusual, he never considered it to be man-made. There had been no reports of magic that could control insects; insects acted purely on instinct and had no intelligence to be directed.
Moreover, these types of insects had no combat capability, so no one would think to control them. In the Ark Continent, everything was based on strength, and things lacking strength wouldn't even catch a second glance.
Because of this, Satin felt that the situation was complicated but did not consider it to be man-made; he merely thought it was a natural disaster.
In fact, insect plagues had occurred on the continent before. The Ark Continent was vast, and natural disasters occurred frequently each year—plagues, droughts, floods, all happening multiple times annually.
At that moment, the guard who had run to report returned, saying to Nate, "Hurry, come with me. The elder wants to see you."
Nate was startled and immediately stood up. Although his cultivation level was not high, he was now a fourth-level warrior. The people of the Ark Continent generally had better physical qualities than those on Earth. After resting for a while, Nate felt much better. Upon hearing that the elder wanted to see him, he quickly stood up.
Satin and the guard who had gone to report followed Nate into the Inner Fortress. The Inner Fortress was similar to Iron Mountain Fortress. As soon as they entered, there was a sizable training ground where many warriors were training. Going further in, they arrived at a hall, which was where some administrators handled affairs. Surrounding the walls of the Inner Fortress were many houses, where the training warriors lived.